Electric switch or cut-out.



P. DRUSEIDT.

BLEGTBIO sWITcH on GUT-OUT. PPLIUATION FILED APR. 23, 1910. ,l 1,052,903. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

UNITED` sTaTEsN PATENT oEErcE.

PAUL DRUSEIDT, 0F REMSCHEID, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH 0R CUT-OUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11,1913.

Application filed April 248, 1910. Serial No. 558,175. i

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL DRUSEIDT, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Remscheid, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches or Cut-Outs, of whic-h'the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements 'in electric cut-outs of that kind in which loose switch members, preferably balls, are employed. Some of these switch members have a conductive surface and the other have an insulating surface. l/Vhen a switch member having a conductive surface is moved in engagement with a portion of the device where t-he electric circuit is interrupted, the Closing of the circuit will be eiected. When, however, a switch member having an insulating surface isA moved to that portion or between two open ends of a' circuit, the circuit will remain open.

A constructional form of a switch according to this inventionyis shown by'way ofexample in the accompanying drawing, in whichz- A Figure 1 illustrates a cut-out in eleva- 'tion and partly in section. Fig. 2 is ga. partial section on theline A-B of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line C-D of Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to the drawings a represents a switch casing, which is provided wit-h a. cavity or chamber l) defined by cylindrical or helicoidal walls. Extending into the lower portion of this chamber is a push pin h which projects through the frontportion of the casing.. A suitable spring s, is provided, which normally acts to force the button outwardly. Contact members e, e', insulated from one another enter the. cavity b and are approximately parallel to each other. -The contact members are resilient with respect. to each other and may be curved at their'ellds. They are secured in some suitable 'manner in the casing a and are clectrically'c'onnected with the conductors f, f', respectively. The contact members are preferably made Iof bronze.. Two balls c, d, are loosely arranged within the cavity b, the ball c being made of a conduc- .tive material, for instance metal and the ball Z being formed of non-conductive material.v

When the ball c made of conductive material is engaged between the ends of the contact members, e, e', the circuit is closed, as cui'- rent may iow from the conductor'f to the contact member e, thence through the ball c to the contact member e, and finally to the conductor f. Thel lother ball constructed of insulating material rests then, as may be seen upon referenceto Fig. 1, in front of the push pin 7L. When the said push pin is moved inwardly, it presses the ballcl against ball c, and as the movementis continued, it presses the last-named ball c out of its position of engagenent between thecontact members e and e, substituting thereforvthc ball d in the sam position. As this ball n? is made of insulthe circuit will be interrupted. The ball c formerly between the contact members e and e', rests now on top of the push pin l1.. When the push pin is retracted, the ball drops in front of the push pin,\asis shown in Fig. 1 with respect to ball d, so that after pressing on the pin again the same operation is repeated, only with the diii'erence that now the insulating ball will be removed from engagement between the contact members "e and e and will be ysubstituted by the conductive ball. The circuit previating material,

Aously interrupted is then again closed. It

therefore travels in a path different from i that of the pressure member, and it travels upwardly so that in spite of the horizontal movement of the push pin, the switching ball rises and after having left the elevated position between thev contact springs e, e', it rolls back again in front of the push pin so that the operation may be repeated. For the purpose of insuring the operation as described, ay portion of the inner wall of the casing, le, is curved in an approximately' i semi-circular sha-pe above that which is in.A engagement with the ends of the contact springs e and e', so as to guide the expelled ball in the desired direction of travel.

For the purpose of-securely holding the balls between the contact` members e and e', the free ends of the latter are provided each with a spherical concavity m, the shape of which Vmay be clearly seen upon reference for o to Fig. 3. It will also be advisable to make the Contact members resilient for the purpose of effecting a rapid engagement and to excessive wear. It will be suficient, howbers resilient and Iat the Sametime obtain the above-mentioned advantage with respect to wear on the push button.

I claim 1. In an electric switch, the combination of a casing provided with an interior chamber, apair'" of switch members loosely arranged within said chamber, one of which has an electrically conductive surface while the other has a non-conductive surface, a pair of contact members arranged within said chamber, said contact members beingl suitably spaced apart, a push pin mounted in said casing and entering said chamber for moving one of said switch members into engagement between said contact members, said push pin being movable in an approximately horizontal direction, a wire .terminal electrically connected with each contact member, one switch member being normally in engagement between said contact members7 and another switch member being normally in a position between said lContact members and said push pin, the engaging ends of said contact members being disposedy close against the wall of said t chamber and aportion of said wall which extendsl above said contact members being inclined forwardly with respect to the axis of movement of the push pin, whereby the switchl member `which is expelled from en- .,-g'a'ge'ment between said contact members is lprevented from traveling in the same direcpin.

\ tering said chamber for moving one 'of said Copies of thispatent may be obtane for Losaeos loose balls into 'engagement between said contact arms, said push pin being movable in an approximately horizontal direction, one ball being normally in a position between said contact arms and said push pin,- the ball-engaging ends of said contact arms being disposed against the wall of said chamber and a portion of said wall which extends above said contact arms being curved and inclined forwardly with respect to the axis of movement of the push pin, whereby the loose ball which is expelled from engagement between said contact arms is prevented from traveling in the same direction as the push pin moves and is guided upwardlyl and forwardly from said contact arms so as to drop lin front of the push pin,

and a 'wire terminal electrically connected with each contact arm.

3. In Aan electric switch,l the combination of 'a casing provided with an interior chammounted in said casing and entering said f chamber for moving one of said loose balls into engagement between said contact arms, said push pin being movable in an approximately horizontal direction, one loose ball being normally in engagement between said contact arms and another loose ball being normally in a-position between said'contact arms and said push pin, the ball-engaging ends of said contact arms being disposed against the wall of said chamber and a portion of said wall which extends above said contact arms being curved forwardly with respect to the axis of movement of the push pin, whereby the loose ball which is expelled from engagement between said contact arms is prevented from traveling in the same direction `as the push pin moves and* is guided upwardly and forwardly from said contact arms so as to drop in front-of the push pin, and a wire terminal electrically connected with each Contact arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twov witnesses.

PAUL DRUsEIDT. [a s] Witnesses:

OTTo KNIG, CHAs. J. WRIGHT.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- -Vlashingtom10.0.y 

